I am not that experienced Beem. I talked on the phone with many women. I then Skyped with a bunch and then my Alla and I determined that we were attracted to each other after two months of correspondence. Then we mutually began exclusive correspondence with each other. Met in Kiev in Feb. and became engaged and now are awaiting our K-1 interview date with the embassy.
So maybe I am not the experienced person with tons of women and tons of tries.
I met a real women and we are destined to become married and live a happy life.
That is what is what we both set out for and we will do it.
I've read it many times over the years, I think it's an 'American' thing, that guys say to get a lady's postal address and phone number within the first few letters to check her out, send the bunch of flowers nonsense, and if the lady doesn't provide her postal address and phone number, within those first few letters, then dump her and move on.
I've always 100% disagreed with that, these are, often, very attractive young ladies, 90% of the men that write letters are jokers, or worse, they are only writing for their own entertainment, they will never travel to meet any of these ladies, and are probably jerking off to photographs of these ladies etc.
I wouldn't expect any serious lady to divulge her postal address and phone number to some guy that's written 2 or 3, probably 'canned', letters because it would be irresponsible, and perhaps dangerous, for her to do so but in my experiences once the letters became stronger, i.e. a friendship and feelings were developing between the two, then an exchange of such information would happen naturally during the course of the correspondence, a stage would be reached whereas often the lady would volunteer her phone number because it was her that wanted to speak to him and probably also a way to check if he is serious, that he is prepared to spend money on telephone calls, rather than free emails, in her direction.
And that was the impression I got from Ecoast, that communications had reached a stage where one wanted to speak to the other and to hear her voice etc. I often had it that, as she was providing her number, she would be welcoming a call whilst making excuses, in advance, that her English wasn't so good but we expect that and we make allowances for it but Ecoast didn't hit such a 'hurdle' in the course of developing a relationship, he hit a 'brick wall' whereas, in not so many words, she refused to provide her phone number and that he may only contact her via an agency that he doesn't even know the name of never mind the phone number of!
The subject that if he phoned via the agency, no doubt at an agency fee, he wouldn't know if he was talking to her or an agency stooge is a different subject of debate!
Sure Beem, when I was corresponding with a number of women, I'd say there was about half did not speak speakable English. I can think of four that I spoke to on the phone. I'd do a lot of the talk, some of my bad Russian and they would just listen to me. They would also say a few things in Russian to me. Then we would write each other emails (I can do my own translations and all of these women were able to do their own = why use an agency?) and explain what we had just said to each other.
One other I Skyped with all the time. She would listen, I would talk more with her young son who was studying English, and we both would text message back and forth during the session.
I just can not imagine anyone only emailing back and forth, and yes pictures are a must, and then making a decision to come meet.
Well, now that I think of it, if this the method many men employ, I can see why they take so long to find their mate and why they fly back and forth so many times with no luck.
I am sure you can agree that if you can actually talk with a woman, as well as all the other correspondence, as well as see and talk with Skype, that you dramatically increase your chances of finding a woman who is very compatible with you and you with her.
You are right the meeting is the important part, but there is a lot you can do ahead of time to make it all worth the while to both parties.
I would agree SM. I didn't ask for any phone numbers until many emails were exchanged.
And even though some of the ladies did not know English, none, I repeat none, hesitated to give it to me. Yes some had not much to say and I did all the talking but I wanted them to know that I was for real and serious as I had written to them.
None were so shy as to hide behind an email and an agency. And none were sent any gifts. I did exchange music files with one. The first gift I sent was only after Alla and I decided to meet and begin exclusive correspondence. And this was for Orthodox Christmas, so it was double duty.
Everyone has their own opinion Martin. I always wanted to know if the lady was real right away. Why write to a ghost and spend money doing it. Why would the lady worry about the 90 per cent of the men that will never travel to the FSU anyway. What harm will they do with the address if they never come? Only the other 10 percent can possibly do harm.
I will agree these ladies put themselves in harms way any time they meet a stranger but that is a risk they take.
Most ladies that are serious want to communicate directly because they know they are only a cash cow for the agencies and no serious relationship will come staying behind agency interpreters. Most of the ladies I met told me that they did not want to communicate through the agency because the agency did not want a successful marriage but only a continued correspondence that put money in their pocket.
A quote from Nasfan6 in another thread "Find a common ground with the woman, move her away from the sphere of agency influence. The brain washing that goes on with the agency is funny. They have some of these girls believing they can't do this without them. Then ask your ladies after you have found the "one" how much help the agency provided them for their document preparation. That's a big laugher. Ooops you're no longer an income producer for us. See yaaaaaaaaa!! You got it your girls butt is kicked to the curb."
He is right on target, I once ask an agency to print out the application for the K1 for my lady and deliver it to her and charge me for the services and delivery. Their response was "We do not have adobe acrobat reader so we cannot do that"
So do it your own way but do not whine if it does not work.
In the main I agree with you and, in the main, that quote of nasfan6, despite umpteen differences of opinion between nasfan6 and myself that quote of his is quite an obvious and logical one.
But, I have never demanded a ladies contact information, in early 'online' communications I would have asked for an email address, a guy can't do very much harm with an email address, but with a phone number he can harrass her with 'nuisance' phone calls and if he has her address then he could come breaking in to her home. The internet can be a dangerous world, a guy could post her pics and address on the internet and the unimaginable could happen.
By not having her address or phone number for a number of weeks would not be a problem, to me, nor would cost (me) any money unless one is paying per letter and if one is paying per letter then one is an idiot hence the reason why I would invariably always ask for an email address and if it wasn't forthcoming then there's plenty more fish in the sea.
Two of the ladies I wrote to did not have email addresses. The first got one after a month or two of correspondence but the second I communicated with snail mail and telephone until we met. The other option would have been pay per letter or dump her but instead I gave her the opportunity to dump me. She was absolutely the politest lady I ever met but had grave concern of living in a village as she called small town USA. After a few meetings she told me she did not think we were right for each other but as she left in the taxi her eyes never left me until she was out of site.
If I had to do it over again I would still want contact info outside the agency. But I do not plan to do it over and that is just my preference.
Land of oz; your little piece about her leaving in a taxi and her watching you until she was out of sight tugged a few heart strings.
It's a pity women like this sometimes leave our lives forever.
Yes Kirkland she was a nice one but the next night I met my wife and I would not trade her for the world. Life is full of choices and two have to make them in this game.